(09-11-2021) Christmas 2021 - SERIEs

Christmas 2021 is at the center of the special Amoris Laetitia Family Year that will conclude with the Tenth World Meeting of Families set to take place in Rome from 22 to 26 June 2022. Speaking of Christmas in Amoris Laetitia, Pope Francis writes: “This is the mystery of Christmas and the secret of Nazareth, exuding the beauty of family life!” The postage stamps for this issue are characterized by this ecclesial atmosphere. The first stamp depicts the Magi who came to Bethlehem to adore the Divine Child. The second € 1.15 stamp features the child Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and Saint Joseph, who holds a staff at the top of which there is a spikenard flower, the symbol chosen by Pope Francis to represent the Holy Patriarch in his coat of arms. The author of the two paintings is Adam Piekarski, a young Polish painter who is homeless. In order to depict the Magi, the artist took inspiration from some of his fellow companions in difficulty. Two of them are more or less recognizable, the third is not, representing everyone. With this small initiative, the Vatican’s philatelic service wishes to offer a more concrete presentation of the Lord’s birth by promoting assistance for our disadvantaged brothers and sisters. As always, the postage stamp issue dedicated to Christmas also includes a booklet containing two sets of stamps. The cover features a new rendition of the logo created for this special year, drawing inspiration from the one of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life.